


Intangible Wounds

by bluemelanie



Series: Rusted Bloodlines [2]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Jack the Ripper DLC, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-07-04 13:14:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15842025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemelanie/pseuds/bluemelanie
Summary: Being beside Jacob Frye had seen London turn over for the better, the streets of London had their own relative peace, meaning you could truly dedicate yourself to finding medical cures. But when the Autumn of Terror arrives it is time to pick up the stitching kit once more.





	1. Season Turnover

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta'd - sorry about any typos! Some warning: there's talk about the mutilation that Jack enacted on his victims.

The sky was hinting at the first signs of light, it was just before dawn and the light fog was greatly illuminated by the candle-lit street lights. Not an hour ago had a Rook come banging on the door with urgent news, Assassin news that was and you had been steered out of the room. Your husband of almost twenty years, Jacob, was never one to leave you out of Assassin business, though you were not one yourself it was the life of your family. Whatever the news was you already knew it to be serious since you had been left out of the conversation, and the fact that Jacob hastily dressed into his Assassin gear having not talked to the Rook for more than two minutes and then immediately leaving the house with a cryptid message to you, "Stay here - I'll back back within the hour." Jacob had sternly eyed both you and your son Emmett with his message, though the look in his eyes seemed more pleading than angry. 

With the door closing behind Jacob and the rook, Emmett - in his nightware much like yourself - turned to look down at you, suspicion in his eyes. He had raised his eyebrow at you. "Should I tail him?"

You had bit your lip with worry, it was so rare for Jacob to keep you in the dark and to leave so suddenly. "No, it'll be some master Assassin business and you will just get into trouble." Truthfully, Jacob had looked a great deal worried - whatever it was it was severe and though Emmett was almost eighteen, it was surely something he should not be exposed to. You had worried that Emmett would argue, but he simply yawned and got back into bed. You had sat at the dinning table with a cup of tea, which had since gone cold within the hour, being lost in what to do. Jacob should have gotten back by now. Without much thought you had gone upstairs and changed into your typical coat and trousers outfit and headed out after Jacob, after ensuring that Emmett was indeed asleep - snoring away. 

Now you quickly headed over to Buck's Row - the only part of the conversation between your husband and the Rook your caught ear of. Jacob and the Rook had taken the Rook carriage that said Rook had brought over, so that left your main carriage on the estate. Waking up the horses was annoying, yet you did not want to walk all the way to Whitechapel at this time of night. 

The low, light fog had left an eery atmosphere in the streets of London, you may have tightened your grip on the reigns more that you needed. The cobblestone streets were mostly quite, a few drunkards lobbing about and one or two produce carriages trotting along. With a lot of haste you finally came onto Buck's Row, stopping your carriage as you saw multiple carts and police carriages ahead at the gate. There was a a group of men clustered together, all talking low, they did not hear your approach on foot. As you got closer, you noticed they were all huddled around... something. Some men were crouched on the ground, as if inspecting the stones of the street. The outfits seemed to range from police uniforms, to Assassin robes, to butcher's aprons and suits. One man did notice your approach, it was your husband no less and he turned around to face you, placing two firms hands on your shoulders to stop you moving forward. 

Yet you could not look up at him, you could only stare at the hunched shoulders of the men crouched on the ground. "Love," only then when did you hear Jacob's voice did you look him in the eyes - he did not sound angry at you. His eyes were tired and sad, his voice quiet and... defeated. "Don't."

Grimly you shook your head, took his hands off your shoulders and brushed past him to see what everyone was huddled around. The cold had truly set in now, the weightless fog suddenly feeling suffocating. The crowd of people had been clustered around a corpse, but not any corpse - you recognised Mary Ann Nichols' face anywhere, though her throat had been slit open. In fact you noticed her abdomen had been slashed too, though there was little blood on the street. You could not stop the shocked gasped that escaped. Jacob's hand grasped the small of your back, tugging you to his side. You wanted to turn your face into the crook of his neck, yet your eyes could not look away from the horror in front of you. 

"Her body was discovered just before 4am." Jacob said in a quiet whisper, curling his arm around your waist tightly. "No one heard a thing." You gazed at the audience, realising the butchers and other workers came from their shops nearby - they must have wondered what had happened. 

Your voice visibly shook as you spoke to your husband. "She wasn't murdered here. There's not enough blood on the stones, her clothes are soaked in blood yet the street is not." Jacob turned you away from the body now, walking you a few steps away from the scene. Huddling into your husband you softly asked. "Who could have done this?" 

Jacob did not respond immediately but his grip on you tightened even more. "Someone skilled enough to take down an Assassin." He said grimly.

Your eyes widened in horror. "No. Surely he wouldn't." Jacob did not respond, didn't look at you. "He was mad but..." But it made sense. After some arguing, heavy discipline and decline of his outlandish plans, Jack the Lad had become resentful. He had started to despise Jacob and the Brotherhood - saying he could better the Creed with his own sadistic methods. He had vanished a month ago, not a trace of him in London at all. 

"Nellie said she had seen Mary an hour before her death, she had been out looking out for those traitorous Rooks who left the gang, their leader." He frowned deeply. "Then she turns up dead." Jacob was looking out to the police gathered, it was the Bethnal Green Division of the Metropolis police, not Scotland Yard.

As if reading your train of thought, Jacob spoke up. "Abberline will have to get involved - we need his help - especially if this continues." You noticed he did not use his nickname for the detective. Mary's body was now being loaded into a cart, crudely covered up in sheets with blood already soaking through.

Slowly you looked up at your husband, his eyes looking sadly down into yours. "What are we to tell Emmett?"

Jacob sighed and gently brushed a stray strand of hair out of your face with the back of his knuckles. "He's a smart boy, he'll hear about it by either word of mouth or the papers. We be honest with him." Jacob's face sagged with pain at the thought of having to tell such things to his own son - that one of their own, one of their closet, had done this.

Never had fog felt so heavy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've been doing a lot of research for this fic (so many gruesome details blegh!) and fun fact, Frederick Abberline didn't move to Scotland Yard until 1887, so in the main game he should actually be with the Metropolitan Police, in the N Division.


	2. Guidance

The ride home had been quiet, you had tried to think of anything else that had just transpired - to no avail. By the time you arrived back at the manor the sun was hanging low and you noticed the curtains to Emmett's room upstairs had been pulled open. Your eyes started to get damp with moisture, how were you to tell your son that Jack the Lad had done such a thing? Jacob came up to your left side as you approached the front door, he held onto your hand tightly. "We best get this over with, yeah?" He tried to make his tone light but with the severity of the situation it was hard to make light out of anything. You merely nodded and bit your bottom lip to stop yourself from crying right then and there and followed your husband into the house, hands tightly held together.

Emmett was sitting at the dinning table in his sleepware, though he had put on a coat over top, and wore a rather disgruntled expression. He wasn't eating anything, he was clearly waiting for you two to return home. "So, master Assassin business?" He muttered sarcastically.

" _Emmett_." Jacob gave him in a warning tone.  


You untangled your grasp from your husband and went to sit down next to Emmett. "No, it's alright Jacob."  


Jacob looked worryingly at you but shucked off his Assassin coat and threw it on the back of the chair next to you and promptly sat down. "Thank you for not leaving the house, Emmett." Emmett merely harumphed in response.  


"Emmett..." He looked up at you then, noticing the severity of your voice. "Jack the Lad... he's returned, well in one sense."  


Understandably Emmett looked confused and Jacob stepped in to clarify. "You remember Mary Ann Nichols? She's one of the older Assassins." Emmett nodded the affirmative. "She was found dead this morning." It was so blunt it pierced the air like a knife.  


Emmett shook his head in confusion. "How would that link to Jack?"  


You had to bite your lip again to stop it from trembling, the act did not go unnoticed by Jacob and he squeezed your thigh reassuringly. "There are almost no Templars in London and no one else can match an Assassin in skill except-"  


"-For another Assassin." Emmett finished off Jacob’s sentence.  


You nodded. "He has been the only Assassin in London to... deviate. There can be no-one else within the London Brotherhood who would do such a thing - and with all this maniacal methods he wanted to employ on our enemies... the violence of this murder fits with his anger."  


Jacob hummed in agreement, moving his hand from your thigh to your hand on the table. "Mary was going after the person responsible for those traitorous Rooks in Whitechapel, not even an hour later is she dead." Jacob looked his son in the eye so sadly the sight would surely break your heart.  


Emmett simply gulped as he processed what he had heard. "So what are we to do?"  


Jacob frowned marginally at his son. "We as a Brotherhood need to converge first, whilst you two lay low." Emmett went to make a fuss but Jacob interrupted him before he got the chance to open his mouth. "Emmett, you - though an excellent learner - are still a novice. Jack is not. He went up against a seasoned Assassin and won. Don't you _dare_ make me endure the horror of finding you fall to Mary's same fate." Jacob's eyes had gone shiny with moisture - pleadingly looking into his son's eyes.  


"I- I understand, father." Emmett choked out the words, making you reach out to him into a fierce hug.  


"I'm so sorry Emmett." You muffled into his neck. "You should not have to endure such things at your age."  


He squeezed you back tightly with one arm and you let him go. "I better get dressed." He mumbled as he pushed himself out of the chair and shuffled off into his room upstairs.

"He is a much better behaved teenager than I ever was." Jacob gave you a crooked smile as he looked at you out of the corner of his eye. "And I have you to thank for that."

Jacob stood up from his chair to hug you tightly from behind and your clasped your hands onto his arms. "How are you feeling, darling?" Your voice was so quiet, as if talking at normal level would make the world around you shatter. 

He exhaled deeply before answering. "A hard question, love." You turned around in his grasp to face him, framing his face with your hands. "I feel responsible for all of this."

Your mouth drooped at the corners and thumbed over the scar on his cheek. "I helped raise this- this _monster_ , too." Jacob's eyes were getting glassy with tears, much like your own. "But, we are not responsible for the actions of others - we _must_ remember that." 

Jacob pulled you close and placed a delicate kiss to your forehead. "We will get through this. Jack will be held accountable for his actions." He pulled back to look at you fiercely. "I promise you."

You nodded. "I trust you - never doubted you before and I won't start now." Your hands dropped from his face to rest on his chest. "I still need to help Nightingale at the central infirmary today."

Jacob visibly gritted his teeth. "You understand that I am reluctant to leave you or Emmett out of my sight today?" His fingers dug deeply into the small of your back, bringing you somehow closer even though you were both already flush together. 

Before you could respond you heard Emmett descend the stairs, now fully dressed in his Assassin attire, and enter the dinning room. "I want to go over to Elijah's house." Jacob relinquished his hold on you at this, now you could turn to face your son. His face was stern. Elijah Moore was the same age as Emmett, another Assassin, who had grown up alongside Emmett for almost his whole life.

Jacob sighed. "And what makes you think that would be a good idea when we have no idea where Jack is, let alone what he will do next?" 

"I don't exactly feel like being cooped up in this house with the maids, and honestly I just..." He bit his lip trying to think of how to continue. "...I just want to inform his family about all this, alright?" The Moore family had moved to London after the twins had liberated it from Starrick and had been family friends ever since. 

"I doubt Jack would act again, at least not today. He'll know the Assassin's will be on guard." You spoke this aloud mainly for your husband's benefit.

Jacob let out an exasperated groan. "You'll be extra careful going over to his house, if you leave his I want you two to have Rooks with you." Jacob instructed. Though Rooks were tough, they were not tough enough to take on Assassins like Jack - but it was still safer to be in numbers.

Emmett nodded. "Sounds fair. I'll be back before dusk." And with that he swiftly went upstairs, taking them two at a time, presumably to sneak out of the house via a window and take the rooftops to Elijah's house. 

You placed a hand on Jacob's arm, rubbing it up and down reassuringly. "Like you said, he's a smart boy. He'll be fine." The tension in Jacob's neck and back muscles was visible even through all the layers of clothes, with his fists clenched tightly he simply stalked into the kitchen to inform the maids that there would be no need to make breakfast today, no-one had the stomach for it anyway.

With a sigh you went upstairs to retrieve your tools and prepare for the day at the infirmary with Miss. Nightingale, Jack was not going to put your life on hold. If you hadn't been married to an Assassin for the past two decades you would have gotten a fright from Jacob suddenly and silently appearing at your side, seeing you packing your medical bag for the day. "Love..." He began.

"Jacob, I am not going to waste my day - or the rest of my life - sitting here in this manor whilst there are people in London who need my help." You looked up at him intently. 

Once again were you met with somber hazel eyes. "I understand, believe me I do. That is why I'd like to accompany you today."

That touched your heart. "I know darling, I know. But I also know you have a lot of Assassin business to organise, a lot of people to talk to, a lot of letters to write. Your Brotherhood needs your leadership now more than ever." You raised one had to brush your thumb through his right eyebrow, the one cut with the scar. 

Jacob leaned into the touch, grabbing you hand and cushioning his cheek on it. "Can I at least organise for some of my Rooks to be with you today? It would lessen my worry a great deal."

On your tiptoes you pushed up for a gentle kiss to his lips, to which he returned instantly. "Of course Jacob, whatever will give you some peace of mind."

A smile tugged up at the corner of his lips. "I love you, incredibly so." His voice almost quivered. 

"And I love you too, Jacob." You smiled at him, placing a quick peck to his cheek. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to anyone who leaves kudos and/or comments! You have no idea how encouraging it is! x


	3. Distinctions

Just over a week had passed when your household had been awoken by yet another burst of violent banging on the front door. Heart racing you sprang out of bed before you even had the headspace to check the time. Jacob's heavy footfalls followed yours down the stairs. Emmett had bet you two to the door and was talking to Inspector Abberline, face grim. Frederick looked sympathetically at you two as he spoke. "The Ripper has struck again and witnesses at the scene identified her as Annie Chapman." He said matter-of-factly.

It was Emmett who responded first, quietly. "She was one of us." His hand was still on the door you noticed, his grasp tightened upon hearing the news.

Jacob was looking fiercely at the Inspector, as if some non-verbal conversation was going on between them. "Emmett, can you please give us some privacy?" You asked your son gently.

Emmett shook his head sharply, knuckles whitening on the door. "No - I'm old enough to hear this, this is affecting my life too!"

Jacob opened his mouth to intervene but before he could, Frederick spoke up. "Actually Emmett, I need your father and mother to come to the scene. We need to make sure the body has been identified properly." Emmett scowled at him. Abberline simply looked unaffected. "I won't be allowing kids turning up at the morgue."

You firmly placed a hand onto your son's shoulder that was closest to you. "You heard the inspector. Now, go upstairs and you are not to leave the house until we return." Emmett frowned deeply, but harshly shrugged your hand off his shoulder and stalked upstairs. A deep sigh escaped you.

"Do you really need both of us there Freddy?" Jacob asked the inspector exasperatedly.

Abberline eyed you with an eyebrow raised. "No, but I have a feeling your wife won't stay here. Quick! Put some proper clothes on we really must get going." Jacob gave you a brief pleading look in his eye, but did not say anything.

* * *

 

Much like Mary, Annie had been slashed at the throat and again in the abdominal region. Jacob simply took one look at her face, confirming to Abberline that it was Annie before stalking out of the room to talk to the other officers and eyewitnesses involved. You, on the other hand, wanted to know the extent of her wounds. Dr. Philips was in the room with you, scribbling down notes. "Dr. Philips - did she receive the abdominal wounds before or after her death?"

He sighed and came over with his clipboard of paper and fountain pen. "The deep cut to her throat came first, killing her quickly. It seems this... Ripper wants their victim to be still when he... disembowels them."

You could feel the colour draining from your face. Though her body was covered in a sheet from the shoulders down, you had been informed about her injuries but not seen them. "Disemboweled?!"

Dr. Philips nodded grimly. "When he found her... her intestines were thrown over her shoulders and part of her uterus is missing." His voice was blatant with disgust.

A tear rolled down your cheek, you hastily rubbed it away with the sleeve of your coat. It was one thing for Jack the Lad to kill these women, these fellow Assassins, but it was another to do _this._ Minutely you sniffed and went to look back up at her face. The colour from her face had long gone, her lips were becoming purple, her tongue was protruding from her mouth as if it were swollen. "Her tongue - her neck and cheeks seem swollen, as if she couldn't breathe."

The fountain pen stop scratching along the paper on Dr. Philips' clipboard, he came over to inspect. "Yes, the swollen-ness of her face would only be the result of immense pressure, as if she had been asphyxiated with a handkerchief." He scribbled more notes onto his clipboard. "Though it is hard to see any bruising over all the blood."

You eyed the sheet covering the body. "Am I allowed to examine the extent of her wounds, doctor?"

Dr. Philips looked up at you carefully then, as if trying to gauge your train of thought. "I have always trusted you, you've been one of the best nurses to work alongside me and the other doctors of London. However, you knew this woman. What you see now can never be undone." His voice never wavered.

Nodding the affirmative you responded in a low voice. "I know, I do. But..." But you had to try figure out why Jack would do this, why wasn't killing enough? Dr. Philips' voice blurred out to a static sound, there seemed to be a ringing in your ears as you pulled back the sheet. What had been described to you could never match up to what you saw in front of yourself now. Faintly you registered that someone had shouted your name, but you could not respond. You were stuck looking at the horror in front of you. Without sensing his approach, Dr. Philips had ripped the sheet out of your grasp and hastily placed it back on the corpse. Now your hearing seemed to come back and you could hear your husband frantically talking to you. Jacob's eyes were wide... with shock or horror you could not discern. You knew your eyes were wide like his, though you felt fear and disgust more than anything.

"How could he do to _this_ to her, Jacob?!" Your vision was getting blurry with tears. Unconsciously you walked over to your husband, as he was walking over to you with his arms ready to catch you in an embrace.

Jacob latched onto you with no hesitation, cradling the back of your head with his right hand as he led you both out of the morgue. Only when you were in a corridor completely alone did pull your face to look at you. He was looking harrowingly at you. "Why did you look?" Your hands fisted into his coat lapels, not with much strength but just for something to hold onto. 

"I- I had to see what he had done - to try see _why_ he had done it." Looking away from your husband's gaze you shook your head slightly. "It is one thing to want this... vendetta against the Brotherhood, but it is another thing to to _this_!" The words were almost mumbled into Jacob's chest.

Clutching you closer to his chest, resting his chin on your head, Jacob spoke up once more. "Nellie was the one who found her." Nellie was a prostitute who had helped one of her coworkers fight off an aggressive man. Jacob, being impressed as he was at the act, had offered to buy her a pint to try get her to join his Rooks. That was a better living. Yet, she had turned it down. You and Jacob had pinned it down on the fact she was quite protective of the other prostitutes she worked with. But, once the Rooks in Whitechapel turned their backs on Jacob, Jacob had teamed up with Nellie to get some of his Assassins to go undercover to try find a trace of Jack. It was evident now that this cover-up was hardly working. "I will need to regroup with the other remaining Assassins that are undercover, we need a new plan." You knew that 'new plan' most likely meant said Assassins should go into hiding until Jacob finds Jack himself.

"I doubt the remaining ones will want to go in hiding, Jacob." You pulled away from his chest to look up at him, he seemed puzzled at your words. "You have such a loyal following, Jacob, they want to catch Jack as much as you do!" 

Jacob heaved out a sigh, lightly brushing the back of his knuckles against your cheekbone. "I'm terribly sorry such a thing has happened." You went to interject, but Jacob simply silenced you with his thumb. "All I've wanted is to give you a happy life, not to shroud it in such darkness. I am afraid I'll never be able to make it up to you." His voice cracked. 

Never in your life had you seen Jacob look so depressed, your heart sunk just looking at his face, he was so heartbroken. "No, no, no, no." Hastily you framed his face with your hands, thumbs poised to wipe away any tears that fell from his face. "Jack's actions are not yours, never had you taught him such vile methods, you only ever showed him kindness and generosity. And I am happy - I'm happy with you, happy when you married me, happy when we had Emmett and I am happy still!" The tears never came from Jacob, but you rubbed one of his cheeks reassuringly. "This is just a brief chapter of our lives - Jack will be stopped." Jacob did not respond, at least not verbally, but he did pull you in close to wrap his arms around your waist and in turn you wrapped your arms tightly around his neck. "Let's get home to Emmett, yeah?"

Jacob simply nodded in return. "I have organised to have Assassins act as guards at our manor, they should be arriving there about now."

* * *

When you both arrived back home at the manor, Jacob was correct with the Assassin guards having already arrived. However, once you got inside an Assassin approached you both, looking alarmed. "Mr. and Mrs. Frye, we've been looking for Emmett ever since we arrived not even twenty minuets ago. He's nowhere on the property." 

You went rigid right beside your husband. "Missing?" Jacob seethed. "Where were his last traces?" Before the Assassin could answer, there was a loud clatter coming from upstairs. Jacob put his arm out in front of you protectively. "You lot stay here, don't let her out of your sights!" Jacob's voice was imperative and stern and he quietly snuck upstairs. It sounded like the noise had come from Emmett's room, but from down here you could not be certain. Your heart was thumping, the mere seconds seemed to stretch on for hours, the dust motes illuminated by the sun through the windows seemed to move in slow motion. In reality only a minute had passed and you heard Jacob yell from upstairs. "False alarm! Emmett's here!" The Assassin guards looked at each other, wondering what he possibly could have meant. "[Y/N] come up here please!" 

Without hesitation you leaped up the stairs, the guards following you. Quietly you peered into Emmett's room, on the far side by the windows did you see Jacob kneeling over a crouched figure. As you walked closer to your husband you realised that figure was your son, and he was clutching his right forearm as if in terrible pain. "What happened?!" You asked as you quickly knelt by your son, gently grabbing his right arm to inspect it. It was covered in blood and the coat sleeve was torn. Emmett seemed a little dazed. "Jacob, grab my medical kit." You instructed imperatively. He went without a word and came back with said kit just as quickly.

With Jacob's help you were able to rip off the coat sleeve from the elbow down so you could look at the damage. It was multiple knife incisions across the front of the forearm, one cut so deep it was bruising around the edges. "I went to visit the nearest Rook hideout on my way to Elijah's. I don't know, I suppose I wanted to see how they were holding up with all this horrible business going on." He hissed through his teeth when you cleaned off the skin with a rag of antiseptic. You mumbled out an apology, intently looking at cleaning out the cuts. "But, once I got there... they seemed hostile." This you looked up at, Emmett was looking his father square in the eyes. No anger in either of their expressions, just... benevolence. "I tried to leave once I realised they no longer served you or the Assassins, but one of them said something about how pleased Jack would be if they handed me over to them or-" He cut himself off, seeing his father tightening one of his fists in anger, you were currently willing the tears away so you could see what you were doing.

"Or what, Emmett?" Jacob's voice was even and indifferent, frighteningly so. 

Emmett cleared his throat once before continuing. "-Or if they killed me then and there." Jacob stood up suddenly at that, pacing away. "I was quick, I grappled up the nearest building. But there was a sniper on the roof, she intercepted me, making me trip and she tried to stab me in the heart with her knife-"

"But you were too quick." Jacob finished off from the other side of the room. He was facing the wall, tension in his shoulders showing through his Assassin coat. 

Indeed he was quick, you saw the deep cut was only a few centimeters long, a direct stab wound. Luckily it would only need about three or four stitches. "Ow!" Emmett complained as you pierced the skin with the stitching needle. You did not look up at your son, no it was easier to continue the work at hand pretending like this was any other patient. "I blocked her from doing so, with my arms, but she managed to tear the coat."

Jacob had quietly come back to the both of you, he was kneeling by his son's side again, looking at you finishing off the stitching. "Did you kill her?" Jacob's voice was laced with anger.

You heard the distinct metal click of a hidden blade being unsheathed. It was Emmett's and it was covered in drying blood. "Yes, I stabbed her through the throat and then I ran."

Gently Jacob grabbed Emmett's left forearm and made work of removing his Assassin gauntlet. "You are never to leave this house without my say so. You are never to leave this house alone, you either leave with two of the Assassin guards or me - or you do not leave at all." Now the gauntlet was removed and firmly in Jacob's grip he stood up and looked down at his son. "Am I understood?" 

Emmett dipped his head slightly, as if he was guilty. "Yes, father. I'm sorry."

You were just applying the bandages now as you heard Jacob sigh aloud. "Do not apologise." His voice had gone soft, fragile even. "I should be the one apologising. We would not be in this mess were it not for me." 

"No father-" But Jacob was already leaving the room, bloody gauntlet in hand. Outside the doorway you could hear him giving new orders to the guards. "I do not want him to blame himself." Emmett mumbled to you. 

Finishing up the bandage you looked up at your son, he was biting his lower lip. You wanted to reach out and cup his jaw with one hand but your hands were bloody. "He believes since he trained Jack in the Brotherhood, made him his own responsibility in his learning, that he is still responsible for Jack's actions now." You saw Emmett shake his head defiantly, but he did not respond but you noticed he was still biting his lip to prevent it from trembling. "I know, none of this is your father's fault. But all we can do as a family is assure Jacob that he is not responsible for these deaths until Jack is finally caught. We must support him every step of the way... That includes no disobedience." You added sternly. 

Emmett sniffed, wiping a tear away with his left sleeve. This was the first time you had seen him cry since he was a child. "I understand, mother."

"Good." You smiled at him and placed a quick kiss to his hair, standing up. "Well you are lucky it was mainly just scratches and one cut deep enough for a few stitches." Your tone was light, you did not want your son to feel any more guilty than he already did. 

He huffed out a semblance of a laugh, crookedly smiling at you as he stood up. "Well then it is a good thing I have a nurse for a mother." He gave you a kiss to the forehead as he headed out of his room, probably to find his father. The act made you smile though, Emmett had been taller than you for a few years now and it was rare for him to openly show such affection. Quickly you went into the bathroom to clean up your hands so you could join your boys in the drawing room. There were a lot of hugs and discussions to be had. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I **hate** how dirty Ubisoft did Jacob in this DLC. Jacob is quite literally my favourite character and it infuriates me to no end how screwed over he got by this DLC.
> 
> Honestly I don't think Ubisoft put much thought into this DLC, Nellie shares Lucy's face model, the timeline is all over the place, how did the traitorous Rooks get purple outfits - that was a very hard colour to come by unless you were rich (mauve was popular but that's not the colour those "Rooks" wear), Jacob summons Evie yet she has no idea about the Ripper (she wouldn't come all this way to London alone unless it was vital), there's no talk of Jacob's wife and family; they're not in the photo from India but Jack is???? G O D .


	4. Candlelight

Since the so-called-Rooks in Whitechapel had turned on Jacob, the Rooks of the entire city were no longer to be trusted. It did genuinely seem to only been an issue with the gang in Whitechapel, it is apparently that was the only borough Jack was able to spread his influence. Still, it had Jacob on edge and you were now escorted to work with one of the Assassin guards and sometimes Emmett, much to his dismay. Watching your mother stitch up people and heal the sick was a boring affair. Sometimes though, it was just you and Emmett, you were both well instructed to stay away from Whitechapel until Jack was caught and apprehended. Emmett seemed less tense on the days it was just you and him going around helping the sick, mainly in the infirmary with Miss. Nightingale. It appeared in the presence of the Assassin guards that Emmett's shoulders were always rigid with tension, but when it was just you two he seemed more relaxed. You wondered if he was worried about any more betrayals. Though Emmett was relaxed at home, and that had more guards.

You merely shook your head, deciphering your son's actions were fruitless. Presently you were attending to a girl no older then ten who had a red rash on her inner right forearm. Today was one of those days when it was just you and Emmett. You glanced over your shoulder to see your son sitting on a windowsill looking out onto the rain outside, cheek rested on one hand and looking incredibly bored. Sighing you turned back to the rash on the girl's arm, you felt so guilt for having Emmett trapped with you. "Is the rash very itchy?" You asked the girl quietly.

She clucked her tongue once. "Very much so. I want to itch it right now." The girl was calm in demeanor and of the upper class. Though you were not complaining, she was one of the best child patient you have had in a long time. 

"Yes, I though as much. When did you notice it appear?" Placing her arm down gently you stood up to one of the cabinets nearby, looking for creams and ointments.

She furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "I believe about two days ago, after we had gone to a picnic in the countryside." With the bottles needed, you closed the cabinet doors and made your way back to the bed she was sitting on.

"Ah." You said as you sat down once more in front of her. "I don't suppose you were going berry picking?" 

"Mama said we weren't supposed to... but we did, I haven't had berries in a long while. But papa caught us before we could eat any." She was shrinking back into herself, as if scared of being reprimed.

You smiled gently at her. "Well now, we'll just consider this a learning lesson, alright?" Immediately you noticed a change in her body posture, with your kind tone she did not seem afraid of you. "All it was was some poison ivy." She gasped at the word. "Do not worry, since you did not eat any you'll be fine and the rash will fade away eventually." 

Much to Emmett's dismay, a workplace related accident had a handful of new patients flow into the infirmary just as you were to pack up and leave just before dinner. In fact it was not until late into the night that you and Emmett were finally able to leave, all patients finally bandaged up. You had word sent out to Jacob that the pair of you would be late, lest you wanted him to go out into full blown panic mode at your late arrival. As you both stepped out the doors of the infirmary Emmett stretched his hands high above his head and yawned. "Well at least the rain has subsided." He mumbled as he put his hood up to shelter his face from the remaining spitting droplets. 

"Let us just hope that dinner is still hot for our return." You sighed as you walked alongside your son. The walk from this infirmary was a very short one, just a few blocks. Therefore, there was no need to take a carriage. There was little to talk about on the way home, though you did apologise for the hundredth time about Emmett being stuck at the boring infirmary once more. He merely shrugged, unfazed. If you had to guess he was not talking much because he was hungry, and he got very short tempered when he was hungry. 

On the last leg of your walk home Emmett suddenly froze, arm out in front of you to stop you from moving. Looking up at him you saw him looking around, the way his eyes were unfocused meant he was using his Vision. You too looked behind and around but did not see anyone. "What is it, Emmett?" Your voice was low so that only he could hear, though your breath let out a small puff of fog from the cold of the night. 

His arm did not move from its stern position in front of your body. "I'm not sure... but something is off." His eyebrows were knitted together in concentration. 

Gently grabbing your son's arm you made to keep walking. "We best get home quickly then."

But Emmett suddenly whipped around to the face the opposite side of the street, pushing you almost behind himself with his arm, almost entirely blocking you from whatever was on the other side of the street. "Leave us be, _Jack_." Emmett spat out the name.

A name you went rigid at. Peering around Emmett's shoulder you saw a masked figure across the street, wearing Jack's simple garbs under a street lamp and a knife tightly fisted at his left side. Panic seizing you you tried to push in front of Emmett, to protect him, but Emmett's arm forcefully shoved you back behind him. With enough effort you were able to shove yourself to be side by side with Emmett, your hand fiercely gripping his arm should you need to pull him out of the way. "What do you want Jack?" You asked him in a level tone. 

At first Jack said nothing, his grip visibly tightened on the knife he was holding at his side. "Can't you see? Jacob's weakness has helped no one, his Creed has helped no one. I am the one to fix it." 

In the corner of your eye you could see Emmett's jaw clench at that. But before Emmett could speak up you beat him to it. "Then you are truly lost, Jack. Jacob and the Brotherhood has shown nothing but generosity, what you are doing is the path of an anarchist." It was obviously hard to tell what Jack was thinking, for not only was his face concealed, but he had clearly lost his mind. 

Emmett shifted on his feet which made you tighten your grip on his arm, you would not let him do something reckless. "When dear sister Evie arrives, and no doubt she will, I will round the lot of you together and slaughter you all." Emmett snarled at him and made a move to step forward, which you prevented. Jack chuckled at the action. "Or perhaps I shall murder you two right now, gut you out and leave you on the streets for dear Jacob to find."

It was now you who had to be restrained from crossing the street and doing something stupid. Emmett held onto you with renewed ferocity as you leered over at Jack. "We did nothing but love you like own own!" 

Jack's response was interrupted by the sound of a carriage approaching, which you all turned to look at. It was a meat cart, two drivers yacking away at each other as the came to pass you. You looked back at Jack only to see him disappear. Emmett was now frantically searching for him with his Vision. "He's gone... his tracks end right at the street lamp." 

Gathering your wits you grabbed onto one of Emmett's hands and held on tight. "It is imperative we get home quickly now. We will have to tell your father." Emmett simply nodded as he took one long look at your surroundings before pulling off into a sprint, tugging you along in hand. You were not as quick as Emmett, nor as fit as he was. But through sheer adrenaline and fear did you run the entire way home, not stopping until the giant mahogany front door was shut and bolted. Emmett barely needed to recover his breath, the same could not be said for yourself. The two guards of the entryway queried you both at your sudden arrival. To which Emmett waved a hand off in dismissal and uttered Jack's name. The guards followed you both into the drawing room where you knew Jacob would be.

Jacob was at the desk going over multiple letters but turned at your arrival into the room. He noticed something was amiss immediately with the guards following you both and noticing you were out of breath. Jacob's face quickly became worried. He stood up quickly and marched over to you both, reaching out for you. "What happened?" 

Emmett shoved his hood down and huffed out an annoyed breath. "On our way home, only half a block to the house, were mother and I intercepted by Jack." Emmett flopped down on the couch in front of the fireplace.

Jacob's eyes went wide as he looked from you to Emmett and back to you again. " _Intercepted?_ " He seethed.

You nodded meekly and joined your son on the couch, gently placing a hand over his knee, playing with your necklace with your other hand. "He did not touch us, Jacob." Jacob was now crouched down in front of you both. "He... Jack was across the street form us, Emmett had felt something was wrong.”

Jacob looked up at Emmett at that, but Emmett was decisively not looking at his father, he was instead staring out the window to his left when he spoke. "I cannot describe the sensation I felt, but I felt as if we were being watched. I could not see anybody." Emmett turned and looked down at his father, his face bitter. "And then he was suddenly across the street from us." 

Before Jacob could speak up you went in to clarify the situation. "He said that you and the Brotherhood had done him wrong, that the Creed needs fixing."

Jacob hung his head in shame. "I should have let the bastard rot in the asylum." Retracting your hand form your son's knee you moved forward and sought out Jacob's face with your hands, craning his head to look up at you. His eyes were full of sorrow. Sighing, he cradled one of the hands on his face with a hand of his own. "Then what happened?" His voice was so quiet you barely heard him speak.

But you did not answer, could not answer when looking into the worry and sadness within your husband's eyes. So, it was Emmett you replied. "He threatened us." Jacob's head snapped up at this, causing you to drop your hands from his face. "He said that when Evie returns to England, and that she will, he will kill us all." 

Jacob stood up, jaw clenching, shoulders tense, hands formed into fists. He paced away to the window, as if looking for something. "What else did he say?" Jacob spat out.

Emmett bit his lip before continuing. "Then he said that maybe he should just gut mother and I right then and there so-" He was cut off by Jacob swearing.

You stood up from the couch to comfort your husband. Once you reached Jacob's side you reached out to his farthermost cheek to get him to look at you. "But he did not Jacob - we are here now. Safe. Safe with you and-" you turned to gesture to the Assassin guards still waiting in the doorway. "-and with your brothers and sisters." 

Emmett stood up to accompany you both now. "He will be caught, father." 

The words had little effect on Jacob. He shrugged you off and turned to the guards. "Inform the other guards in the house of this news. I want security to be double tonight. There can be no mistakes." 

 


	5. Wax Insignia

Jacob had spent the rest of the night going between all the guards and workers in the house, ensuring nothing could possibly get into the house, and the rest of the night holed up in his study writing letter upon letter, carefully sealing each one with his Master Assassin insignia on the scarlet red wax. Almost midnight - with Emmett and the servants long asleep - and he was still labouring over his desk, the tension in his shoulders had not eased since you and Emmett had arrived home. Standing in the doorway you watched your distressed husband seal yet another envelope in the flickering light of the candles on his desk, the study was notorious for bringing in a draft. Tonight the draft in the dark study seemed more menacing... even unnerving. Done with the task at hand, your husband let out a huff and reclined against the chair, exhausted and stressed no doubt. "And how long did you plan on looking over me, tonight?" He was not mad, no he was exasperated.

Dropping your clawed fingers from the door frame you quietly approached him. "Seeing how worried you are makes me worried, dear." Having reached his chair, your right hand sought out his face, softly placing it on his left cheek. At the gentle gesture he placed his left hand over your right one, squeezing it tight as he briefly scrunched up his own face, as if he was in a great deal of pain. The expression vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Cradling both his hand and face into your hand he finally looked up at you and the worry in his eyes was evident a mile off. "The worst could have happened tonight." The sincerity and rawness in his voice cut through you like a knife. Delicately he pried your hand away from his face and instead opted to link your hands together. "I have been reckless." His voice was barely a whisper as he intently looked at the entwined pair of hands on his lap.

Sighing, you decided to sit on his lap and wrap an arm around his shoulders and neck. "Jacob," you started sternly, using your free hand to guide his chin up to meet you in the eye, "it is impossible for you to keep a constant eye on me, Emmett and those under your following." Dropping his gaze from yours, Jacob sighed and with the arm wrapped around your waist you squeezed you tightly, resting his head in the crook of your neck. You squeezed him back reassuringly. "I understand your worry, darling. We're all worried, but I have faith Jack will be caught and apprehended." You rested your head against his and brought up your right hand to stroke through his hair, the act was always something that comforted him. 

Jacob hummed thoughtfully, though not moving as he spoke. "My immediate concern is that he will not be caught before he gets to you or Emmett..." The ' _again_ ' was left out pointedly. "Thinking about how close he came-" His cut himself off, grip tightening on your left thigh. 

"Hey, hey, hey." You cooed at him, moving out of his embrace to firmly grasp at his face to see him properly, his eyes had started to get moist - your heart shattered at the sight. " _Jacob_." Your voice broke just speaking his name aloud. "If we spend all our energy and time worrying, then Jack will have won. No, we must stay clear-headed and think around him." Though your words were strong, your eyes deceived you as you could feel them moistened up with tears of your own. A strong hand held on tight in between your shoulder blades, as if for leverage. Without much thought your brought Jacob’s face to meet with yours and kissed him fervently, a kiss he returned with the same amount of sharp energy. His hand snaked up from your shoulder blades to tangle in the hairs at the base of your head, changing the angle of the kiss into something deeper. You could feel his strong heartbeat skipping slightly faster than usual, the same could probably be said about yours but you were too enveloped in the kiss to care. Hastily pulling away, gasping for air you took the opportunity to reposition yourself on his lap, hiking up your nightwear skirt up to your knees so you could straddle him proper. Your husband tangled one hand back in your hair, pulling you back in for another kiss, whilst the other hand roamed up your thigh, making the exposed skin turn to gooseflesh in its wake. Tactically you squirmed in his lap, grinding down as his roaming hand groped your arse, you pulled back with a light hiss. 

Jacob looked up hungrily at you, his pupils dilated as unfocused. " _God_ , love, I've _missed you_." He ghosted the words over your mouth before languidly kissing you once more. You hummed in delight at his words, you had missed him... this too. God, how you had _yearned_ for him. Struggling to articulate such words, you opted to bite numbly at his bottom lip, to which he almost growled in appreciation at. 

Deftly you pulled away slightly, just far enough that your noses were barely touching. "Your wife has missed you too, darling, madly so." Jacob's mouth twitched up at the corner, he absolutely loved being reminded that you were truly his. With a hand on your jaw, he craned your neck up so he could suck the flesh there. _Leave his mark_ you thought smugly. The back of your head was wondering how on earth you would be able to cover this up, as it was high above any neckline of any or your clothes, but you could not bring yourself to care and tried to ignore that part of your brain. There were better, more important things to focus on now, like Jacob hooking his arms under your arse and hoisting you both off of the chair and out of the study towards your master bedroom. You felt giddy with anticipation to finally be intimate with your husband again. Though Jacob's hunger for you never dimmed in the twenty year you had been married, with the events of Jack there had been little time for such a luxury, so tonight you both had been craving such an opportunity. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess whose laptop is broken again? 🙋♀️


End file.
